Princess Rose
by Chocoholic Bec
Summary: One Shot - Rose has a nightmare, so Hermione tells her a story. Slight Ron/Hermione.


A/N: I know, I know, I haven't finished my other story. This is just to tide you over.

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Hermione woke to the sound of screams, and for one horrible second thought that she was back at Hogwarts on that dreadful, wonderful second of May. However, the scream came again, and she realised that it wasn't a dying friend or a terrified student, but her precocious little Rosie.

She heaved herself out of bed, ungainly now that her stomach was so large, and for a second her eyes were caught by the profile of her husband, still snoring, his hair just a little overlong and brushing his eyebrows.

She heard another wail, and waddled to Rose's room, where her young daughter was lying face-down on her small bed and screeching like a banshee. Hermione sat down at the end of the bed, perched precariously at the edge – her daughter had inherited her father's height – and stroked Rose's thick auburn hair. "Rosie, darling, what's the matter?"

Rose sniffled and hugged her mother tightly. "Big ugly monster!" she said, muffled by Hermione's large belly. "Chased me. Scary. Tried to catch me!"

Hermione cuddled Rosie. "Oh, sweetheart, it was just a dream, just a nightmare. It's all right. There's no monster."

Rose looked up, a scowl on her small face. "You promise?" she said, with the extreme severity peculiar to children aged around three.

Hermione smiled and tugged one of the little girl's curls, so like her own except for colour. "I promise, darling. Now go to sleep." She bent over to kiss Rose on the forehead.

"No, Mummy!" she said, hitting Hermione's arm with all the strength that she could muster.

Hermione looked at Rose, frowning. "Remember what Daddy said about hitting people?"

"Yes, Mummy. You only hit people if they hit you first," she recited.

"Then why did you hit me?" Hermione asked, rubbing her arm. "I didn't hit you."

"'Cos you was making me go to bed without a story!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "_Were_, not _was_."

"'Cos you _were _making me go to bed without a story."

"I'm not going to read you a story now," Hermione said, imitating Rosie's best pout. "You hit me. Hitting isn't nice."

"Sorry, Mummy," said Rose, looking as innocent as she could.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine, Rosie, you can have a story. Just one, mind you, and then straight back to sleep!"

Rose clapped her hands. "Yay!"

"Okay. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess–"

"Princess _Rose_?"

"Of course. Anyway, one day Princess Rose decided to go for a walk in the forest. On her way she saw a Sphinx standing in front of a cave."

Rose squeaked. "A Sphinx?"

"A huge one. So the Sphinx looks at Princess Rose, and roars, 'Princess, I could eat a knight for breakfast, and a little girl like you wouldn't even be a mouthful for me. But if you want to pass though, you must answer a riddle. If you answer correctly, you may pass. If you leave now, I will not harm you. But if you answer wrongly, I will eat you.'"

Rose giggled. "Sphinxes don't eat people, silly Mummy. What was the riddle?"

"I'm coming to that. Anyway, Princess Rose was a brave and clever girl–"

"Like me!"

"Yes, like you. And she said, 'I'm not afraid. What is the riddle?"

"What was it, Mummy?"

"The Sphinx's riddle was this. 'What is it, that when given food it lives, but when given water it dies?'"

"Ooh!" Rose bounced. "I know. Fire, it's fire!"

Hermione ruffled her daughter's hair. "Very good, Rosie."

Rose pouted. "Don't do that, Mummy. And it was easy." She yawned and lay down.

Hermione laughed. "Well, Princess Rose knew the answer too. She looked at the Sphinx and said, 'Fire,' and the Sphinx walked away from the cave entrance so that she could go inside.

"Inside the cave was a huge pile of gold and silver. Princess Rose was looking around, when she heard someone shout, 'Hi!'

"Princess Rose ran to the noise, and saw a handsome prince standing there. He had red hair and blue eyes–"

"Like Daddy!" Rose said happily.

"Yes, darling, like Daddy. And he said, 'Princess, you are the cleverest, most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on. May I come back to the castle with you and be your friend for ever?'

"Princess Rose smiled and hugged the prince. 'Of course you may.'" Hermione said quietly, noticing Rose's eyes were already closed. She made as if to get up, but a small hand grabbed her arm.

"Then what?" Rose said sleepily.

"They went back to Princess Rose's castle and they had lots of adventures together. And then they got married and lived happily ever after."

Rose opened her eyes slightly, and tried to focus on Hermione. "I'm sleepy. Night-night, Mummy."

"Night-night, Rosie darling."

Hermione walked back to bed, yawning. She lay down, and Ron stirred next to her.

"Hermione? I heard talking. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Ron, everything's fine. Rose had a nightmare, so I told her a story."

"Oh?" Ron sat up. "What story?"

Hermione laughed. "Just another Princess Rose tale."

"All right," said Ron, lying down again and laying a protective hand on Hermione's stomach. "Just think. In a few months, you'll be telling Prince Hugh stories to this little one."

Hermione placed her hand on top of his. "Ron, I'm sure it's going to be another girl. And even if it was a boy, I'm not going to call him Hugh!"

Ron laughed, and clasped her hand. "It'll be a boy. And you don't like the name Hugh?"

"No, I've told you before. It was the name of that kid who used to tease me when I was little."

"And I've told _you_ before; it was just because he fancied you."

Hermione pushed his hand from her belly. "Don't be silly, Ron." She rolled onto her side, facing him. "D'you really think it's going to be a boy?"

Ron gently touched her cheek. "Yeah, I do. The Weasley genes will out!"

Hermione smiled. "Maybe. But I still think that it'll be a girl."

"If you say so. Well, if not Hugh, how about Hugo?"

"Hugo?" The name felt a bit strange on her tongue, but somehow familiar. "Hugo. Yes, I like it."

"We'll call him Hugo, then."

"I told you, we'll call _her _Alice."

Ron kissed her on the forehead. "We'll see, love. We'll see."


End file.
